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We Are STL Young Adults

Building a home for Catholic young adults in St. Louis
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We Are STLYoung Adults
Building a home for Catholic youngadults in St. Louis
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Providing opportunities to encounter Jesus;connecting young adults to the church via faith building and community
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Providing opportunities to encounter Jesus;connecting young adults to the church viafaith building and community
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who we are

building a home for catholic young adults

St. Louis Young Adults is an outreach of the Office of Young Adult Ministry in the Archdiocese of St. Louis that serves young adults between the ages of 21-35. We seek to establish a lasting foundation for Young Adult Ministry in our archdiocese, and we support vibrant and visible communities that empower young adults to grow in their relationship with Christ and His Church.

The Office of Young Adult Ministry was started by Archbishop Robert Carlson in Fall of 2011. Since then it has grown to include two full-time staff members who collaborate with parishes, develop young adult leaders, support young adult groups within the Archdiocese, and organize events for St. Louis Young Adults.

Faith Encounter Opportunities

We provide faith formation for young adults through retreats, catechesis, conferences, bible studies, and many other events. These opportunities allow our members to grow in relationship with Christ, in an understanding of the Catholic faith, and in community with one another.

Building Community

Through both large and small group events, we provide opportunities for young adults to encounter their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. We hope to inspire a generation of “men and women for and with others” that support and challenge each other as well as the greater Church community. Through young-adult centered events, we seek to fulfill the fundamental desires of unity and fellowship.

Culture of Leadership

We seek to empower young adults to become transformative leaders. We encourage members to be active in their parishes, using their gifts and talents, challenging them to become contributing members to our ministry, taking roles in their own parish apostolates, and serving within the St. Louis community.

Social Responsibility

Our ministry connects young adults to local groups for volunteer opportunities that promote the rights and dignity of all people. We desire for young Catholics to be visually present in the Church, particularly in serving the poor and marginalized of our city and in the development of society.

Evangelization

“The Church exists to evangelize.” Our ministry seeks to support and create a vibrant and visible community of young adults that attracts others to the Gospel and the truths of the Catholic Church. Through leadership training, Discipulus Institute courses, conferences, and talks, we hope to equip young adults to be effective evangelists to the world.

Mission-Oriented

Aware of the Catholic Church’s call to “make disciples of all nations,” our mission challenges young adults to follow this mission in their families, work, and social spheres. Our office serves as a support for young adults in their work.

the team

Shane Van Diest

Director of Young Adult Ministry

Shane Van Diest

Director of Young Adult Ministry

“It is Jesus who stirs in you the desire to do something great with your lives, the will to follow an ideal, the refusal to allow yourselves to be ground down by mediocrity, the courage to commit yourselves humbly and patiently to improving yourselves and society, making the world more human and more fraternal.” - St. John Paul II

Born on the East Coast but raised in Montana and Wyoming, Shane Van Diest attended Carroll College in Helena, MT where he received degrees in Mathematics and Biology. After college, Shane spent two years as a Division I college football coach at the University of South Dakota, two years as a Catholic missionary with FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students), and two years as a theology teacher and Director of Campus Ministry at Duchesne High School in St. Charles, MO. Along the way, Shane earned his MA in Theology from the Augustine Institute in Denver, CO and is currently pursuing further graduate studies in Thomistic Philosophy from Holy Apostles College & Seminary. In January 2016, Shane married his wife Marah, and they welcomed their daughter Cecilia to the world in August 2018. Shane’s loves are St. Thomas Aquinas, Catholic liturgy, J.R.R. Tolkien, water-skiing, climbing trees, and the Green Bay Packers.

Angela Richard

Coordinator of Young Adult Ministry

Angela Richard

Coordinator of Young Adult Ministry

“Do not conform to yourself to this age, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.” (Romans 12:2)

Angela Richard serves as the Coordinator of Young Adult Ministry for the Archdiocese of St. Louis. She received her bachelor's degrees in Catholic Studies and English Literature at the University of St. Thomas, through which she had the opportunity to study at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome. After studying at St. Thomas, she received her master’s degree in Secondary Education through Creighton University’s Magis Catholic Teacher Corps where she taught middle school Religion and Language Arts for two years. You can often find Angela enjoying a good cup of coffee while deep in discussion, reading, singing, geeking out about apologetics and philosophy, or watching the Cardinals win!

"Responding to the invitation of Christ, young adults will become transformative leaders in their parishes, communities, and the world."

Our Vision

latest content

You are designed to “be perfect as the Heavenly Father is perfect” (Mat 5:34). But that’s impossible. You are designed “to pray without ceasing” (1 Thess 5:17). But how? The ancient monks of the Egyptian Desert discovered a long-forgotten—and surprisingly easy—way to do both.

A short conclusion to this course, tying up threads on dating on major feast days. Msgr. Witt also takes some Q&A.

The eight Fathers explored in this course are quoted 170 times in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Their contribution to understanding and appreciating the saving message of Jesus Christ and the life of His Church is beyond estimate. Their lives span five centuries from the birth of Justin Martyr to the death of Gregory the Great, but their influence on us remains as strong as ever.

As a bonus, we explore early Christian burial practices and come to appreciate the importance of Sunday Mass, Easter and Christmas and why Catholics should observe each of them.

The eight Fathers explored in this course are quoted 170 times in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Their contribution to understanding and appreciating the saving message of Jesus Christ and the life of His Church is beyond estimate. Their lives span five centuries from the birth of Justin Martyr to the death of Gregory the Great, but their influence on us remains as strong as ever.

As a bonus, we explore early Christian burial practices and come to appreciate the importance of Sunday Mass, Easter and Christmas and why Catholics should observe each of them.